This week’s Courier includes the results of a reader survey on “the best of” Vancouver. There were quite a few winners on the Drive. Most of the categories were voted on as “east”, “west” and “downtown”; so, except for the first, all the winners below are for “Best Eastside…”

Italian Day won best Festival city-wide;

Fratelli’s — Best Bakery;

St. Augustine’s — Best Pub/bar;

Vera’s — Best Burger;

Charlatan — Best Cocktail Bar;

Saloniki — Best Greek;

Sula — Best Indian;

Havana — Best Patio;

Bandidas Taqueria — Best Working Lunch;

Dream Cycle — Best Bike Shop;

Catz Lair — Best Hair Salon;

Donald’s — Best Produce Store.

Congratulations to them all.

For what it is worth, I agree with the Bakery, Greek, and Patio awards (so long as I could sit in Havana’s patio eating Fet’s food). The others, for my taste, are as follows:

The Dime — Best Pub/Bar;

Cannibal — Best Burger;

Fet’s — Best Working Lunch;

Tino’s — Best Hair (salon);

Santa Barbara — Best Produce Store

I suspect I would really like Sula but I haven’t tried it yet. And I don’t have a bike, so ….

Next Monday evening’s GWAC meeting is themed on Transportation Changes in Grandview. It will lead off with a presentation by Lon LaClaire, Manager of Strategic Transportation for the City of Vancouver.

In addition to the viaduct removal proposal, the City is also considering building a Malkin or National Road connector and they may close Prior Street at the CN rail crossing a few blocks west of Clark Drive. Bike lane improvements are also under study; and you can be sure the Streets for Everyone folks will be out in force to discuss that last item.

The meeting is expected to draw a crowd and so this month’s meeting will take place upstairs at the Canuck Family Education Centre, 1655 William, which is the building just to the north of the Grandview Park playground. The start of the meeting will be 7:00pm and everyone is welcome to attend. Hope to see many of you there.

I have written before about the asymmetry of power when a small local community group goes up against a developer with his millions, his armies of PR agents and, often enough, the institutional (and taxpayer-funded) power of City Hall. Compared to that vast arsenal, the few dollars that can be collected by donations to the group seem even more puny than David’s legendary slingshot.

However, skill and passionate enthusiasm can overcome a great deal as the No Tower Coalition has proven time and time again. Now, they have managed to produce an intelligent 8-minute video explaining their position.